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Using municipal waste sites for cellulosic biomass production in North Carolina

Using municipal waste sites for cellulosic biomass production in North Carolina - Page 1

NC Woody Biomass
“Nature’s renewable energy!”
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fore
stry/biomass.html
Extension Forestry
Campus Box 8008
NC State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-8008
Using Municipal Waste Sites for Cellulosic
Biomass Production in North Carolina
1
As North Carolina strives to meet its renewable energy needs researchers are seeking
ways to use marginal lands for the production of feedstocks for liquid fuel production.
One type of marginal land that is readily available in NC is Municipal Waste sites -
lands that receive municipal wastewater and biosolids. These sites use permitted
acreage for land application of municipal wastes and can grow perennial crops such
as coniferous and hardwood trees. Cellulosic biomass feedstocks produced from these
sites avoid the controversy of growing feedstock for biofuels production on lands
suitable for human food-crop production. The use of plant biomass from these
particular sites for liquid fuel production also prevents the introduction of waste
materials into the human food supply system.
This fact sheet explores the potential for trees to renovate municipal waste materials,
to produce cellulosic feedstock, and to meet regulatory requirements for land
application of municipal waste.
2
Trees have been used as receiver crops
on municipal wastewater sites
throughout North Carolina and the
USA since the late 1980s. Managed
tree plantations, primarily native or
exotic hardwood species, are
especially well-suited for renovating
nutrients and most metals in municipal
wastes. Coniferous species are less
well-suited for this purpose because
they are more sensitive to saturated
soils and high nutrient loading, but
coniferous trees can be used with
success in some situations.
Hardwood trees can produce large
quantities of cellulosic biomass
(Cowling et. Al., 2005), and the entire
system, from aboveground trees and
understory plants to belowground soil
and microorganisms, are important to
municipal wastewater renovation.
These natural systems sequester and
utilize nutrients and water from waste
streams and grow large quantities of
cellulosic biomass. In addition, they
prevent contamination of soils and
groundwater and improve site soil
conditions. This can be a win-win
system for North Carolina and many
other locations in the USA.
Many hardwood species are excellent
for municipal wastewater renovation
3
on a wide variety of soils, including
saturated soils; hardwood species have
high capacity for nutrient removal and
sequestration.
Hardwood trees provide the following
advantages for renovating municipal
wastewater as well as producing large
quantities of cellulosic biomass:
• Wide variety of species
available
• Adapted to many soil types
• Fast growth in short rotations
• Use large quantities of water
and nutrients
• Extensive and perennial
root
systems
• High evapotranspiration and
transpiration rates
• Coppicing (sprouting) ability
for sequential cropping
• Ability to improve soil
infiltration and drainage over
time
• Production of large quantities
of cellulosic biomass
• Low establishment and
maintenance costs compared to
other crops
In 2011, North Carolina had over
90,000 acres permitted for land-application
of wastewater and

NC Woody Biomass
“Nature’s renewable energy!”
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fore
stry/biomass.html
Extension Forestry
Campus Box 8008
NC State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-8008
Using Municipal Waste Sites for Cellulosic
Biomass Production in North Carolina
1
As North Carolina strives to meet its renewable energy needs researchers are seeking
ways to use marginal lands for the production of feedstocks for liquid fuel production.
One type of marginal land that is readily available in NC is Municipal Waste sites -
lands that receive municipal wastewater and biosolids. These sites use permitted
acreage for land application of municipal wastes and can grow perennial crops such
as coniferous and hardwood trees. Cellulosic biomass feedstocks produced from these
sites avoid the controversy of growing feedstock for biofuels production on lands
suitable for human food-crop production. The use of plant biomass from these
particular sites for liquid fuel production also prevents the introduction of waste
materials into the human food supply system.
This fact sheet explores the potential for trees to renovate municipal waste materials,
to produce cellulosic feedstock, and to meet regulatory requirements for land
application of municipal waste.
2
Trees have been used as receiver crops
on municipal wastewater sites
throughout North Carolina and the
USA since the late 1980s. Managed
tree plantations, primarily native or
exotic hardwood species, are
especially well-suited for renovating
nutrients and most metals in municipal
wastes. Coniferous species are less
well-suited for this purpose because
they are more sensitive to saturated
soils and high nutrient loading, but
coniferous trees can be used with
success in some situations.
Hardwood trees can produce large
quantities of cellulosic biomass
(Cowling et. Al., 2005), and the entire
system, from aboveground trees and
understory plants to belowground soil
and microorganisms, are important to
municipal wastewater renovation.
These natural systems sequester and
utilize nutrients and water from waste
streams and grow large quantities of
cellulosic biomass. In addition, they
prevent contamination of soils and
groundwater and improve site soil
conditions. This can be a win-win
system for North Carolina and many
other locations in the USA.
Many hardwood species are excellent
for municipal wastewater renovation
3
on a wide variety of soils, including
saturated soils; hardwood species have
high capacity for nutrient removal and
sequestration.
Hardwood trees provide the following
advantages for renovating municipal
wastewater as well as producing large
quantities of cellulosic biomass:
• Wide variety of species
available
• Adapted to many soil types
• Fast growth in short rotations
• Use large quantities of water
and nutrients
• Extensive and perennial
root
systems
• High evapotranspiration and
transpiration rates
• Coppicing (sprouting) ability
for sequential cropping
• Ability to improve soil
infiltration and drainage over
time
• Production of large quantities
of cellulosic biomass
• Low establishment and
maintenance costs compared to
other crops
In 2011, North Carolina had over
90,000 acres permitted for land-application
of wastewater and